Dunn, Ventura say Sox need to relax

Pressure of playoff race can lead players to try to do too much

Adam Dunn and manager Robin Ventura admitted the White Sox are coping with varying degrees of these ailments, but they need to overcome them.

"When you put too much (pressure), you are trying so hard to get something done, you are only human," Dunn said Monday as the Sox were trying to snap a five-game losing streak and improve an .071 batting average with runners in scoring position in their previous six games.

"Where if this happened in May, June or July, there's obviously no pressure. We just have to take a step back, relax and realize we are in first place and in a really, really good position."

Ventura, however, said telling his players to relax is easier said than done.

"You can say relax, but when you're the one at the plate, it becomes different," Ventura said. "Hopefully that changes, but I understand it. It's one of those where everybody wants to do well. You want to be the guy knocking guys in. You want to be that person. But they're the ones that need to relax."

Ventura was asked repeatedly about changing the lineup and later about his batters taking more pitches, but he pointed to past success as a reason not to change.

"We've gotten to this point by playing a certain way, and you don't necessarily want to change everything because we run into a skid," Ventura said. "We've done that before and continued to play."

The Sox are in a stretch of 20 games without a day off, but Ventura wasn't about to make excuses about the schedule.

"Everybody's tired," Ventura said. "The other teams are tired. It's understandable because it's a long season, and that's part of what makes it difficult."

Leaning left? Ventura wouldn't confirm that Jake Peavy's next start will be moved from Wednesday to Thursday against the Rays, but all signs point to such a move.

Before Monday's game, left-hander Hector Santiago said he was available in the bullpen but had been told to prepare in case he's needed to start Wednesday.

That would make sense because Santiago has limited left-handers to a .220 average and one home run in 91 at-bats. The Indians were batting .225 against left-handers entering Monday.